Darkness Inside
by Dark Moons and Whispered Words
Summary: Lily Haskell (Joe's sister) was sent away to Windcliff because she was psychic. Now, returning to Collinsport, she literally bumps into a man who is sensitive and gentle at the same time- but a shadow lurks behind him. Once she starts living at the Old House, everything starts to get interesting... Willie/OC
1. Chapter 1

So. Here's the start of my fic, Darkness Inside. Like what you see so far? Check out my Doctor Who and Torchwood fics- Cross my Hearts and Eternally Yours.

Till chapter 2!

* * *

Laughing, Lily tossed her blond hair, peddling powerfully on her slightly battered bike. It was rather late for a girl to be out, around 8:30, but it was a mild summer evening- and the sun still strained its rays over the trees. Cruising down the trail, a piercing bird cry caught Lily's attention, causing her to loose focus on the uneven ground. Whipping her focus back to the dirt path, her eyes widened as the front wheel jammed on a root. Jumping off the bike, she leapt out of its path- to run into someone, knocking them over and falling on top of him with a "sorry!". Blushing crimson and eyes downcast, Lily quickly pulled herself off of him, stammering another apology, crying out at the sharp twinge in her ankle when she tried to stand. She fell back to the ground with a huff, grumbling about her 'blasted ankle'. Offering her a hand, the man pulled her to her feet, though her cheeks were still vivid pink. Looping an arm around her shoulders, he supported her gently, like a doll that might break.

"Are you ok?" he asked. Lily winced. "Busted my ankle good. You?"

Glancing up, she saw whoever she had knocked over for the first time. With slightly mussed blondish-brown hair, pale blue eyes (much lighter than her indigo), a faint southern accent- complete with a (rather adorable) stutter. He appeared to be in his 20s- around her age, actually. "I'm fine. Couldn't say the same about you, though. Well... It's still daylight out.. I s'pose you could maybe-maybe come get fixed up. But you promise not to come back, y'hear? you gotta get outa here. It ain't safe here for a nice girl like you. You shouldn't come 'round no more."

Lily motioned to her bike, noticing a new scratch- the shiny metal glinted next to the dull black paint. "Rather nice ding I put there. What's your name? I haven't seen you around before." She laughed. "Actually, I really haven't seen _anyone_ around before. I'm new to town, y'see- I only just-" Her face clouded, and she trailed off. "Never mind me. Who're you?"

The man smiled weakly, sadness in his eyes as he helped her limp to the foreboding bulk of the Old House. "I-I'm Willie- Willie Loomis, Ma'am. You must be new around here- hardly would see a gal like y'self socializing with me. I've.. been careless, y'might say- B-but I'm actually quite a nice fellow once you get to know me, honest. I-I like to say I've changed."

Lily offered a wry smile, wincing as her ankle ached. "Know the feeling. I'm Lily Haskell, at y'service. I'd do a curtsey or something of the sort, but I'm slightly... Incapacitated at the moment."

Willie's eyes widened slightly. "As in Joe Haskell? I never new there was a Ms. Haskell.."

She pulled a face. "No! Not like that, silly! He's my brother..." She frowned. "By name and blood only."

Wisely, he didn't push the subject. "Ah. I was gonna say- he-he was always with Maggie Evans, if you know what I mean."

The door to the Old House opened slowly with a long creak. Willie didn't protest when she struggled to walk by herself to the old couch, but he chose instead to hover worriedly behind her, just in case she fell. Sitting down, she smiled gratefully. "Thanks for the hospitality- I really appreciate it."

He grunted in reply, running to fetch some water and a cloth. Returning, he shrugged. "Sorry there's no ice- we don't really have any electricity or fancy stuff like that. Only candles and such." After handing her the bowl and fabric, he sat down in the opposite chair to her and began to repair a small wooden object in his lap- it looked like a puzzle or something of the sort.

Removing her sock, Lily wrapped the wet cloth around her ankle, sighing blissfully at the relief it gave. "Don't worry about it- seems like a nice place you've got here, maybe a bit creepy, but.."

Willie froze for a moment, before resuming his work. "Why'd you say that?" He asked, glancing nervously at the sun that was beginning to set.

Flexing her toes, Lily shrugged. "Just the natural aura around this place, y'know? Like... a bad presence. I.. have a talent for these things, y'might say. That's... that's why I was sent away. To Windcliff."

Sitting down next to her, his face was puzzled. "The sanitarium? You don't look crazy- I-I don't mean to pry, b-but you're such a nice girl, and-"

She folded her hands on her lap. "Don't worry- I don't mind. I didn't get sent away 'cause I seemed to be all loony- though there were plenty of loons there, I can tell you- I was... special. Could do stuff other people can't- this was, oh, ten years ago? I was around eight when I was sent away. Scared some people, including my... father. He doesn't deserve that title. Father means someone who cares and raises you, not sends you away like... like... some _freak_." She sniffed.

Without thinking, Willie grabbed her hand. "Well you don't look like a-a freak to me." He declared "You'll just fit in with all us other loonies, yeah? You just don't stick around here too long, an' you'll be fine."

Delicately, Lily placed a light kiss on his cheek, causing him to flush slightly. She squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Willie. Just don't tell Joe I'm in town, please? I don't want to be sent away again. Not when I've made a friend."

His eyes widening, Willie realized that the last rays of sunlight were creeping out of the sky. "You r-really should be goin' now- it-it ain't safe! C-can you stand on your ankle? I-I'm real sorry about this, but you can't stay here because-"

A smooth, dark voice floated into the room from the hallway. "Why can't your lady friend stay with us, Willie? It seems you know each other fairly well.."

Hesitantly, Lily touched Willie's cheek softly. "What's the matter..? You've gone white as a sheet..."

He swallowed, laughing nervously. "N-nothing's wrong! D-didn't expect you home s-so soon Barnabas! I-I-I was just telling Ms. Lily here that she couldn't stay because you don't really like guests. I-I just thought-"

Barnabas Collins slowly strode into the room, complete with his coat and wolf's-head cane. He bowed elegantly to Lily. "The pleasure's all mine, Ms. Lily. I am Barnabas Collins, cousin to my relatives in Collinswood."

For some reason, Lily glanced in Willie's direction out the corners of her eyes. The formerly sensitive man was rigid and pale, and she couldn't help but notice that he was shaking almost imperceptibly. His hand in hers had gone cold- and she could almost feel a chill in the room. Snapping back to Barnabas, she missed the death glare that he gave the servant. She forced a smile. "Lily's my name, Mr. Collins. I'm sorry to hold up your hospitality- y'see, I had a bike accident and sprained my ankle- Willie here helped me so I could bind it." She displayed her neatly-wrapped ankle "Without him, I'd probably still be stuck in the woods."

Despite his smile, Barnabas' eyes were cold and hard, boring into Willie's tense face like black beetles. "Just Barnabas, please, Ms. Lily. No formalities here. I'm sure he was must helpful, weren't you, Willie?"

Without meeting his eyes, Willie muttered, "Yes Barnabas. In fact I-I was just taking Ms. Lily home and I-I really think that I sh-should-"

Barnabas waved him off. "Nonsense, Willie! Ms. Lily, where are you staying? Perhaps we can offer you a ride...?"

Lily struggled to keep her face cheerful. Honestly, there was something about this man she just didn't like... "Actually, I really don't have accommodations, since I just arrived in town- but I'm a native. I've just been living in... in New York for several years, so I could get a proper schooling."

Barnabas sat in the armchair by the fire, still for all the world looking hospitable. "Quite so, Lily. May I offer you a place to stay the night? I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to."

Willie shook his head, almost unnoticed by Lily. He squeezed her hand once. No.

Frowning slightly, Lily shook her head and resumed a small smile. "Sorry, I must be tired. Thank you for the offer, Barnabas. Seeing as to I have nowhere else to go, it would be rude for me to decline. I thank you for your hospitality."

Barnabas smiled. Was it just her, or did he have really long canines? "My dear girl, the pleasure is all mine."

And behind her, Willie's face turned even whiter.

* * *

OOOOH DRAMA! I know, I'm portraying Barnabas as being evil- buttttt I'm still in the 300-400 episode range, and Barnabas is currently a first-class asshole to everyone around him- which includes threatening/killing all of his "friends" and "cousins". So yeah. BUT I plan to go really far with this fic- so review and follow and stay tuned!

Review my dearies!

ooooWWWEEEEEOOOOOooooooo

~Dark Moons


	2. Stay The Night

I have not given up on you guys, I was just taking a break for a few days- since I had finals and all that shiz. Allons-y!

Note: all the chapters from now on will be named after songs. Bonus points to whomever can guess the artists!

Disclaimer: yeah... I don't own DS. If you want to give it to me for christmas...

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

CHAPTER 2

"_Stay the Night"_

0o0o0oDSo0o0o0

previously...

_Barnabas smiled. Was it just her, or did he have really long canines? "My_

_dear girl, the pleasure is all mine."_

_And behind her, Willie's face turned even whiter_

Folding her fingers carefully, Lily chose to document this fact: why was Willie afraid of his employers smile? Maybe she could.. _convince_ Barnabas to tell her later.

Daintily hiding a yawn behind her fingers, she pretended to blink sleepily. "Oh, excuse me!" She fluttered "I really should be getting some rest. Where...?"

Willie's response was immediate. Offering his arm like a true gentleman, he gave her a forced smile. "Right up the stairs, if-if you'll join me, Ma'am. I-I'm sure we have a lovely room for you."

Barnabas' mouth formed a thin line. "Just make sure it isn't-"

"I-I know." For only a moment, Willie seemed to radiate hatred- but only for a moment.

Barnabas smiled kindly at Lily. "Pleasant dreams. I hope you enjoy your room."

Standing up, she curtseyed- now that the swelling in her ankle was almost gone. Expanding her mind, she tried to brush against Barnabas', but found nothing. Her eyes startled, she met Barnabas' eyes. "There-there's nothing there.." She murmured "Nothing..."

Frowning, Barnabas cocked his head in confusion. "I'm sorry.. I don't follow you. Is there something wrong..?"

Lily smiled thinly. "_Nothing_'s wrong. I tend to ramble- most of the time it's just nonsense. I again thank you for your hospitality." Turning, she allowed Willie to lead her to the stairs.

He tried to make the lightest conversation he could. "L-lovely perfume you're wearing, Ms. Lily- Jasmine, I'm guessing?"

Pleasantly surprised, she blinked. "Yes, actually. I love the scent- it reminds me of fancy places- do you follow?"

She could feel him tense under her hand. "Yyes. Quite a fancy scent. Actually, there was a nice lady here who used to wear that same-" he caught himself, as if he was about to tell an important secret.

Awfully odd, how he was always catching himself and glancing over his shoulder like that, Lily mused. As if he was afraid of something. Awfully odd.

Lily couldn't help but let her mind wander. There were too many secrets in this house.. and she hadn't wandered in so long...

Her eyes unfocused for a moment, seeing the flood of thoughts flying through Willie's head at breakneck speed.

**Josette-Barnabas-Maggie-bad-bad-bad-not safe-jasmine-pretty lady-no-bad-bad-keep safe-Barnabas-bad-bad-dead-not safe-bad-night-bad-coffin-night**

Slightly stunned with this new information, she strained to remain inconspicuous as Willie stumbled, his eyes slightly crossed. Shaking his head, he blinked quickly. "Must-must be a draft in here or something. Iit almost felt like..." He shook his head again. "Nah, don't mind me."

Lily smiled apologetically. "I understand- it's late. So which room is mine...?" Dropping his arm, she studied the elaborate white doorknob of a closed door in front of her. "This one's pretty.."

Willie's eyes went wide. "Not-not that one. B-Barnabas wouldn't like that."

She smiled faintly. "She was dear to him, wasn't she?"

Fidgeting nervously, he swallowed. "Who-who's that? There ain't no one here but you, me, n' Barnabas. Th-there wasn't ever no she here."

Still smiling, she traced the grooves in the wood gently. "Josette Collins. She must've been lovely..."

His laughter was high-pitched and frightened even to his own ears. "Oh no Josette here, Ms. Lily. Barnabas doesn't have any Josette here."

Inwardly, Lily couldn't help but smile at the poor boy's efforts. It was too late- she'd seen it, nothing he could say could change it. He was... awfully odd. Like the remains of a dish that has been broken and crudely put back together, with pieces missing. So was William Loomis.

Her tone was breathily soft, as they were sharing a secret. Lily smirked knowingly. "If you say so, Willie."

Willie lead her to a white door that had an engraved brass doorknob. Flowers and vines swirled all around the burnished metal. Quickly opening it, he smiled tensely. "Here you go Ms. Lily- right-right next to mine if you need anything."

Siting down on the white four-posted bed, Lily laughed lightly. "I told you to just call my Lily, no Ms. please- it makes me feel old. But I'm sure I won't need anything. I'll see you in the morning."

Suddenly turning serious, Willie grabbed her hands in his. "Now-now I know this is gonna sound kinda strange... But-but don't open that door for nobody, you hear? I-I'll knock four times if it's me- but you don't open that door for nobody- no matter what they say or do, yeah?"

Lily nodded, giving his hands a light squeeze before she dropped them. "I'll take your word for it. Don't worry- I'm not planning on going anywhere tonight."

Dipping into his mind once again, Lily pretended not to notice when Willie stumbled on his way out of her room (what an idea, having a room of her own!).

**Barnabas-bad-Lily-not safe-bad-Barnabas-awake-morning-gone-protect**

Hmm. If that wasn't suspicious, nothing was.

Removing her shoes, Lily tiptoed to the top of the stairs.

Just close enough to hear the strained conversation floating up from the living room.

Someone entered through the front door. Barnabas greeted them with caution. "Ah, Ms. Hoffman- how nice of you to join us."

Wait. _Julia_ Hoffman? What was she doing here?

Quickly, Willie related the story of Lily to Julia- informing her of the girl upstairs.

"But Barnabas, I think she's a nice girl- you-you can't hurt her- don't you agree, Julia?" Willie was almost pleading.

However, Barnabas' voice was as hard and unfeeling as obsidian. "Quite the contrary, Willie- I'm not going to hurt her. What gave you the permission to think? Certainly not me."

"No that's not-not what I meant- you can't... do what you do to her. She'd go and tell everyone." Struggling to cover his mistake, Willie didn't want to directly state the obvious. She wasn't safe a million miles near Barnabas Collins or the Old House. Or him for that matter

~Lily frowned at this new information- not safe? Hurt her? There were some interesting thoughts in this boy's head.~

There was a slight thump and a cry- Willie had fallen over something. He shook his head as a soft voice seemed to whisper in his ear _~sorry~_ it giggled _~I'm out of practice~_

Jumping up, he spun around for its source, much to Barnabas' annoyance and Julia's worry. "Willie!" She cried. "Is something wrong?"

Barnabas, however, was not so forgiving."What ever is the matter with you?!" He growled. "First falling, then almost knocking me and Ms. Hoffman over, and now spinning in circles..."

Like a startled bird, Willie's eyes darted to all corners of the room. "Did you hear it? Like... a voice in my head. Making my eyes go all fuzzy... a nice voice."

Lily could hear the loud sigh of Barnabas, sick of Willie's antics. "Honestly Willie, I am not amused by this. I really don't-"

_~He's rather odd, isn't he?~_ the voice whispered. Willie went cross eyed again, tripping and falling heavily on the couch. Barnabas was ready to kill someone by this point.

Time for her entrance. Lily hurried down the stairs, a worried look on her face. "Is everything alright? I heard banging.." As one, Barnabas and Julia spun around guiltily, and Willie tried his best to stand up.

Julia's jaw dropped. "Lily?!"

Shuffling her bare feet awkwardly, Lily stared at the bemused woman. "Hello, Doctor."

She was so focused on Ms. Hoffman, that she didn't see Barnabas creeping up behind her...

**C-C-C-CLIFF HANGER!**

**REVIEW REPLIES: **

**Guest**: just wait and see...You're on the right track (bwahaha!)

**JustForgettheWorld09**: Seriously, best review ever. I totally agree- Willie is way better. I'm all sad right now 'cause Willie just got sent to the loony bin in the show where I am right now.. thus inspiring this!

**she dreams of the past**: Glad to know so far! ^.^ Don't worry, I'll do plenty of flashbacks to her history. I'm hoping for Barnabas to get all "mah bride" (if you know what I mean) but you never know with him... He's a fickle dude to write ;)

Also: to my readers from my other stories: Don't give up! Soon!


	3. Behind Blue Eyes

Hey y'all! I'm back!

Sorry for the delay... *shrugs* but here's a chapter for ya!

I know it's been really long! I have lots of projects and school-related stuff that's ben driving me crazy...

The song was Stay the Night by Greenday.

Next up! ^

CHAPTER 3

"_Behind Blue Eyes"_

_no one knows what it's like/to be the bad man/to be the sad man/behind blue eyes/no one knows what it's like/to be hated/to be fated/to telling only lies_

Really describes Willie, doesn't it?

0o0o0oDSo0o0o0

_Previously..._

_Time for her entrance. Lily hurried down the stairs, a worried look on her face. "Is everything alright? I heard banging.." As one, Barnabas and Julia spun around guiltily, and Willie tried his best to stand up. _

_Julia's jaw dropped. "Lily?!"_

_Shuffling her bare feet awkwardly, Lily stared at the bemused woman. "Hello, Doctor."_

_She was so focused on Ms. Hoffman, that she didn't see Barnabas creeping up behind her..._

0o0o0oDSo0o0o0

In a flash, several things happened in the next five seconds. Julia paled, slightly dizzy at the speed of the next events.

Willie finally stood up, only to collapse again, clutching his head with a faint moan. Barnabas pounced, hissing softly and fangs bared. Really, he would've been quite a sight if Lily had been looking.

Lily sidestepped, not even turning around. Barnabas barely grazed her blouse with the tips of his fingers, only to compose himself quickly. Mustn't look to suspicious, now. It wasn't like he had just tried to kill her or anything.

Raising an eyebrow at the disgruntled Barnabas, who was standing calmly as if nothing had happened, Lily hurried over to Willie, kneeling down to his level on the ground. She turned to Julia, exclaiming. "Well, don't just stare there gaping, Dr. Hoffman, help me!"

Julia opened her mouth. Closed it. Repeated the sequence several times. Coming to a conclusion, she finally decided to assist Lily in heaving the rather confused man onto the couch. Barnabas was rather unhelpful with all this, despite the fact that Willie was _his_ servant.

Julia gave Lily one of her Glares; the ones she usually just reserved for Barnabas. Yes, that look. You know the one. "What did you do to him, Lily Haskell? I thought I'd taught you _not_ to do that."

Barnabas perked up. "Haskell? As in Joe Haskell?"

Julia gave him a warning Glare as Lily tensed, relaxed, then sat down on the couch.

Placing Willie's head in her lap, Lily shrugged apologetically at Julia. "Took info from him too fast - I couldn't get it from you; you know how to keep me out." She rested her fingertips on Willie's forehead. Closing her eyes, she murmured, "Went a little too deep into Willie - he's just in shock. Sorry, didn't mean to mess up. I'm out of practice - actually, that's _your_ fault, doctor. Anyways, it's good that I did, Doctor, or your boyfriend-who-I-can't-read would've killed me. Did you teach him that? Awfully unfair of you. Just keep him from getting me for a minute and I'll be done… And… There you go."

She leapt back as Willie sat bolt upright, sneezed, and glanced around the room in confusion. "I…I… Wha'…" His eyes fell on Lily. "You! Y-you were in my head! That-that voice in my-my head!"

Lily's laughter was high-pitched and fake, even to her own ears. Sitting on her bare toes, her eyes flitted nervously around the room, not meeting his eyes. "Oh Willie, how could I have-"

Julia cut in strongly, glaring at both Lily and Barnabas (who was wondering if he should follow through with killing this mildly interesting girl or not). "A little late for that, Lily. You might as well tell the whole story."

Visibly tense, Lily retorted, "Oh? Said the woman who is friends with a man who tried to kill me!"

"I was doing nothing of the sort!" Barnabas protested weakly, still struggling to retain his "gentleman" exterior.

Lily smirked. "To quote the good Doctor, 'A little late for that', Barnabas. So, why were you trying to kill me?"

"You overheard valuable information," Barnabas growled, narrowing his eyes, watching her every move with deadly precision. He was reaching the end of his already-thin patience.

"'Touché." Lily said. "But how would you know that I had overheard anything?" She tented her fingers, calmly watching Barnabas.

"Stop delaying the point, Lily." Julia exclaimed, exasperated. "You're behaving like a child."

The blond crossed her arms defiantly. "Or what? You'll send me back into the looney bin? What good did that do, Julia? I only caused trouble until I left."

"Yes, why did you leave? I thought you were deemed 'insane' until _I_ approved of your release." Julia questioned.

Lily sniffed. "Just because I have special… _Skills_ doesn't mean I'm completely insane. Anyway, none of the staff knew about my abilities… It was rather easy to, ah, _convince_ them that I was fine. I didn't do any lasting damage, though. Just in and out in a snap."

All the while (to Willie's dismay), Barnabas felt himself becoming slightly interested in the girl. Harmless interest wasn't as harmless as it seemed, when it came to the vampire.

No, he wasn't going to kill her.

Yet.

Julia sighed. "If you wish to be stubborn, then _I'll _tell them."

Addressing Barnabas, Julia said, "Ms. Lily Haskell _was_ in my care at Windcliff. Her father had used his good judgement and sent her away-"

"You mean IMPRISONED me." Lily cut in.

"-Placed in my care, when she showed… unusual abilities." Julia continued calmly. "Lily has a special skill that might be quite useful to you, Barnabas. She's telepathic. A mind-reader, to be crude. Only those with special training, such as myself, can keep her out. She was able to sense you behind her because she took the information from Willie's head. In a way, it saved her life. Her skills could save you too, one day."

Yes, Barnabas was intrigued. Very intrigued. This girl could prove extremely useful to him, given the right motives. However, she also could use these skills to turn the town against him, if he didn't give her what she wanted. A most dangerous game, he was playing. And Barnabas liked playing games, for he always cheated and won.

"What exactly can you do, my dear?" He asked, his voice whispering near the back of Lily's neck like velvet. She jumped, startled by his close proximity. "I _hate it_ when you do that. Really Julia, it's no fair - Showing me someone I can't sense. I feel rather blind."

At Barnabas' strange look, she explained herself more thoroughly. "I can usually at least _sense_ minds around me - think of it as constant whispers. Constantly bickering and thinking and - ugh! - always babbling. Many radio stations that I can hear on top of one another, all jabbering and thinking all the time. If I so choose, I can "tune in" to a particular radio, listen to what it's saying, and change the tune, if I don't like the… Music." She reddened slightly. "The tune isn't always pleasing… if you get my meaning. The less people around me, the louder the song. For instance, since Willie is the only mind for quite some distance, most of his thoughts are extremely loud in my head at all times - beg pardon, Willie. But you're wrong, Barnabas." She stood up, circling around the vampire, talking softly as she examined him. He was rather tall, looking down his nose at her, her head only barely reaching past the top of his shoulders. Suddenly, she felt rather short.

Raising on her tiptoes, she tried to see eye-to-eye, only to fall flat-foot once again. Repeating the process several times she pinked again when Willie hid a laugh with a loud cough. Julia excused herself quietly, insisting that she had to return to Collinswood.

After the doctor had left, Barnabas sat down, crossing his legs languidly. He smiled, causing everyone else in the room to shiver slightly. It was not a nice smile. "Well, Ms. Lily," He said. "Why would your… Father send you away, if you have such a… Useful gift?"

Lily narrowed her eyes, sitting back down on the couch, fairly close to Willie. The temperature of the room seemed to drop several degrees. "I. Am. A. Freak!" She hissed between clenched teeth, holding the "f" in _freak_. "My Father was the owner of the Blue Whale." She stiffened slightly when Willie shifted on the couch, only to continue. "When I was really little, I would naturally play around the tables and customers, sometimes with my big brother, since my parents were there all the time." Her eyes unfocused for a second.

"I would go dance to the music, sometimes acting as a waitress to the customers." She hesitated. "At first, I was adorable in the eyes of the guests - a little six-year-old who always new exactly what to say, and what they wanted to order. It got worse the older I got." Lily laughed, coldly. "By the time I was eight, I could convince the people at the bar to stop drinking. I didn't like it when they got drunk, so I… Changed the radio station, to put it lightly. Told them they should stop coming there. I was so proud. Told my parents everything, even showed them several times. I was saving their lives and money! I could help them back onto the right path! Naturally, being the shrewd businessman that he was, saw me as a threat to business and locked me away. No one would want to eat somewhere where a little girl can get into your head." She smiled sadly, curling her feet up under her on the couch, mildly aware of Willie's slight discomfort at her close proximity. Lily pinked slightly. "You're thinking awfully loud, would you mind..."

He coughed, rubbing his ears. "S-sorry."

Apparently, he was rather wary of her since she had rudely invaded his head. For good reason. "I'm sorry about that, by the way. It was extremely rude of me to invade your privacy like that. I needed to learn about the new surroundings. I'd only just escaped… I'll be sure to knock, next time-"

Barnabas cut in sharply. "Willie can handle it. Feel free to take what you need from him at any time."

Willie bowed his head, quiet. He wouldn't dare go against Barnabas' word.

Lily however, was new. She hadn't yet been broken by the victorian vampire. Her nostrils flared. "_Willie_ can tell me that myself, Mr. Collins. With all due respect, I believe that you have absolutely no say in what goes on in his head. Actually, if I may be so bold, I might even say it's quite rude of you to say so - with all due respect. One's only utter privacy is one's mind, to quote. Now if you excuse me, I do believe I must retire, since it is around 3 in the morning. I suppose both of you gentlemen are also going to rest soon…?"

Barnabas' eyes glittered. "I am rather what you would call a night-owl, Ms. Lily. I have… Very important business to attend to. You are free to stay here as long as you desire."

Lily shuddered inwardly. It sounded more of a threat than a friendly invitation. As long as she lived here, she was in some sort of danger.

Willie stood up cautiously, keeping his eyes on the floor. "M-Ms. Lily is right, Barnabas…" He swallowed. "I-it is getting pretty late. I-I'll just be taking her up now."

Barnabas remained sitting stiffly. "Very well. Good night, Ms. Haskell." He smiled thinly at the uncomfortable grimace that Lily produced when he called her by her last name.

Smiling painfully, Lily stood up. "I shall see you in the morning." It was her turn to smirk at Barnabas' thinly veiled reaction.

Willie grabbed her arm. "T-time for bed, Ms. Lily." Once they were out of the vampire's earshot, he muttered, "T-thanks for standing up f-for me, Ms. Lily. Just don't bait Barnabas like that. He ain't very forgiving, i-if you get my meaning."

She patted his hand reassuringly. "He wouldn't dare. Again, I am awfully sorry for invading your privacy like that. It won't happen again."

Bidding him goodnight, she shut the door and climbed into bed. Haunted by the sounds of wailing dogs, sleep didn't come easy to her.

Watching the full moon rise, she counted constellations from the window. She was asleep by fifteen, as the first blood-red stains of the sun shone over the horizon.

0o0o0oDSo0o0o0

**REVIEW REPLIES**

**Guest**: I'm here! Glad to know you like it so far ^.^

**Guest 2**: Maybe... depends on the something we're thinking about ;)

**JustForgettheWorld09**: Seriously, best review ever. I agree, Barnabas and Julia should totally be together (after he turns good, that is, haha). I'm hoping to put Julia in the mix too - back story comin' right up!

**she dreams of the past**: Thanks so far ^.^ don't worry, I'm planning fun stuffs.


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